S.F. Blues Festival Canceled

REVERED OUTDOOR FESTIVAL STARTED IN 1973
CANCELS 2009 EDITION AND MAY NOT RETURN

Johnny Winter

In an article in the Oakland Tribune on Tuesday, San Francisco Blues Festival founder Tom Mazzolini announced that the 2009 festival was being called off, saying, “We may well have seen the last San Francisco Blues Festival.”

This year would have marked the event’s 37th anniversary, making it one of the longest continuously held blues gatherings in the U.S. Over the years, the festival, usually held in September at Fort Mason, has hosted everyone from Buddy Guy to Allen Toussaint to John Lee Hooker, as well as up & coming talent from around the nation. The 2008 installment included Johnny Winter, Hot Tuna, Buckwheat Zydeco and Elvin Bishop.

Currently, the festival’s website has not posted the cancellation.